Weight is the natural enemy of every car, especially when we talk about sports cars and supercars. Towing large amounts of mass puts the driver’s skill and the engineers’ work to the limit. The lighter a car is, the better. More fun, faster and, in the case of electric ones, more efficient. However, today it is impossible for an electric car to stand out for its lightness. Alpine has set out to break that tradition. The French say they are working on an electric sports car that will be lighter than its combustion rivals. To do this, he has made a “not very rational” decision by “investing a lot of money,” according to Luca de Meo..
The head of Renault’s member brands has transformed the positioning of all of them since he joined the company. Renault has become one of the best general brands, Dacia has taken a step forward in its strategy and Alpine has become the sporting pillar that it had been waiting for for so long. The most passionate division of the company has new products and more that will arrive in the future. The Alpine A290, which we have already tested, is only the tip of the iceberg of what is to come.
The investment will impact future launches of Alpine and Renault
Alpine is pure sporting heritage. The A110 is, and always has been, its fundamental pillar. This will continue to be the case in the future. The French are working on a new and electric model, but at first they have encountered the considerable problem of weight. Lightness is key in the A110. At just 1,157 kilos, its current thermal version stands out for its excellent performance and almost unique driving sensations. in these difficult times. This will continue to be the case in the future, although to achieve an excellent power-to-weight ratio, Luca de Meo will have to open his wallet a lot. At least he is aware of it.
The decision is daring to say the least. Alpine is going to develop from scratch and by itself an extremely light platform that will give life to a new generation of light electric sports cars. Without wanting to provide figures, de Meo has confirmed to Coach that the electric A110 will be launched in 2026 and will be lighter than its combustion engine rivals. He has personally recognized that it is “a completely stupid decision”, due to the little return it will have in terms of absolute sales.. In a first attempt, Alpine tried to form an alliance with Lotus, now under the control of the Geely Group, one of Renault’s most important and regular partners. However, the negotiations failed.
In mid-2022 Alpine released the first hint of an electric A110. They presented a concept car named A110 E-Ternité. By then They announced a weight of 1,378 kilograms, just 221 kilograms heavier than the current combustion A110. Renault engineers are confident of being able to reduce this gap thanks to new technologies and advances experienced by the industry, such as the significant cost reduction of batteries. Much of the weight is derived from the batteries. The concept had a range of up to 420 kilometers. A very logical figure considering the performance that the electric A110 could have. A whimsical car, for fun times that include traveling long distances.
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